Dominique Jacques Wilkins was the super star at the Atlanta Hawks for almost twelve years, contributing consistently to the fact that his average team was even a secret favorite for the NBA championship title, but because the great success never came.
First of all, the native Frenchman received most of the criticism. Not least because of this, Wilkins – against his will – was handed over to the Los Angeles Clippers on February 24, 1994 in exchange for Danny Manning.
Early life
Dominique Wilkins was born on January 12, 1960 in Paris, France. He played at Georgea University until he was chosen in the 1982 Draft by the Utah Jazz. Without getting to play with that team he was transferred to the Atlanta Hawks.
In his 11, he had trajectories with the Angeles Clippers, Boston Celtics and Panathinaikos of Greece, the Fortitudo of Italy and then the San Antonio Spurs and Orlando Magics.
“Nique” was an important piece in the Hawks in the 80s, when the team averaged more than 50 victories during each season of that decade.
When Wilkins turned 30, his team started losing a lot of games, since he didn’t play as before. He finally retires in 1999 wearing the Orlando Magics shirt.
He was 9 times All-Star, won the NBA diving contest twice and has scored 26,668 points and 7,169 rebounds throughout his career as an NBA player.
His duels in the slam dunk contests against Michael Jordan were considered the best duels in all history.
His shirt was retired with the number 21 in January of 2001, being one of the 3 players with dorsal removed by the Atlanta Hawks.
Career path
“Carlos, do you dare to play basketball?” The question was from my classmate Daniel Antonio Blanco. It was 1988, we are in the courtyard, that of the then known to the native people as ‘Campo del Sepu’ due to the department stores that limited it but were already inoperative.
That field of land freed us after almost half a day at school, the Balaguer Academy, the same one where Barça soccer player Jordi Alba would later form. Located in the city where I was born, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, the school resides in the neighborhood of Florida (Canela!)
And the courtyard we used, because of the physical limitations of the Academy in question, was also located there. We were studying sixth of the disappeared, but forever in our memories, EGB.
And I rescue the question … “Do you dare to play basketball?” Today, 30 years later, my response would have been (obvious) positive but then we all played football.
Although two stones represented two goal paths, the majority of the class gathered there to kick the leather ball, while a basket planted on the ground only used to be occupied by two or three kids.
Dani was one of those who was always there throwing a basket. That day I said yes and there was no turning back. I even rode a miniliguila. It was called NBA League. So original! I wrote down the results in a small Carpesan.
There were four teams and each one was made up of two students. Celtics, Bulls, Pistons … There were a couple of friends in class that played in the quarry of the then Cirsa Hospitalet and in the AS but I don’t remember them signing up. I do remember that there we go to another colleague named Raúl Castillo.
As a reinforcement to that initiated passion that would never go away, forever in my retina … on Friday afternoons, before the ‘Super-86’ series, I saw the Knicks, Bulls, Celtics … in ‘Near the Stars’ with Ramón Trecet. But my passion belonged to another team.
A team that I had only seen summaries, the Atlanta Hawks. I was much freaked out of his shirt, then copied by Juver de Murcia. And they had two players who had won a math contest … Dominique Wilkins (2.03m / Paris / 1960) and Spud Webb.
One of them measured 1.68 which was what Dani measured. What madness! Could he play there too? The fact is that I regularly saw with my mother, who used to iron, NBA games. Both, including her more, we knew the names of the most prominent players.
Ewing, Jordan, Magic Johnson, Olajuwon, Larry Bird, Drexler, Bogues … but on the team in question there were two playing that; along with Ricky Winslow, Epi, Villacampa or Wayne Robinson …
I had been hooked on basketball: I must say that I also liked the work done by Moses Malone, despite not being a great stylist.
Well, it was the team that I represented in my collegiate league, although Dani always told me: “you are Vinnie Johnson, the ondas Microwave’, and I Robert Parish, the ‘Boss’ ”.
You can already deduce that he was much taller than me … to which I responded firmly: “No, I am Dominique Wilkins.”
Sorry for the roll, but hence my devotion to Wilkins and want to dedicate a few lines on his birthday. It was plastic, spectacular, incisive and competitive but never could, I do not say get a ring, did not even have the privilege of accessing an NBA final. He liked to stand out and score and score without rest.
Today our series is reminiscent of one of the best players in Altanta Hawks history, a buried championship myth and an extremely explosive athlete. Let’s talk about the career of Dominique Wilkins, one of the great wings in history.
He became known for his dunking, taking his first title from the 1984/85 dunk tournament. This year ended the season at 6th in scoring with 27.4 on average, being the second in the Atlanta franchise on rebounds and steals.
The following year he starred in the All-Star Game, finished an average of 29 points, second in the league and was elected All-NBA Second Team and the Hawks finished the season with 57 wins.
In the Playoffs they were eliminated in the conference semifinals by the Detroit Pistons, even though Wilkins averaged 26.8 points.
In the 1987/88 season he had his highest career point average of 30.7 points, was All-NBA Second Team and became the first Hawks athlete to be the player of the week three times in a season.
Again, the third straight, the Hawks had 50 wins but lost in the semi-finals to the Celtics in seven games.
In the 1989 season, they went once again to the Playoffs but fell in the first round to the Bucks, this year Wilkins was buried champion for the second time in his career.
In the 1990 season was once again All-Star, All-NBA Second Team, and team leader in rebounds and unfortunately lost once again in the first round Playoffs.
The following year Wilkins set the NBA record for consecutively converted free-throws, 23. Still this season, he broke his Achilles tendon and lost the remainder of the year.
In 1993 he returned, greatly improving his throws of three and suffers another setback, breaking the ring finger of the hand, losing 11 games.
The change that coach and board wanted Danny Manning was attributed to, as his skills would help the franchise, but most certainly was the financier, they were not willing to a long contract with a nearly 35-year-old athlete.
He left the Atlanta franchise as the all-time leader in scoring, and as Clipper scored 36 points and 10 rebounds against the Hawks, the season averaged 26 points.
At the time it became the 9th largest basket in history with 24019 points, and became a free agent in 1993/94 signing with the Boston Celtics. Dissatisfied with his role in the reconstruction team, he signed a two-year contract.
Dominique’s net worth is estimated at around 14$ million and most of the money comes from the previous years, and successful basketball moments in his career.
Personal life
Born in Paris, France, while his father served in the military in Europe, he moved to Dallas and Baltimore before settling in Washington.
There he started playing at Washington High School, with the MVP in the three state titles (1978/79), still in high school, came out at Sports Illustrated, in the crowd faces session, for a game against a better qualified team where he scored 48 points, caught 27 rebounds, with 9 buried and 8 stumps.
Next is McDonald’s All-American, The Classic Capital, Kentucky Derby Festival Classic and Dapper Dan Classic. He scored 16 points and 12 rebounds in All-American, 26 points in Capital, and 22 points in Derby Classic.
In 1979 he joined the University of Georgia, with a reputation for being an excellent player. Wilkins played only one season, averaging 21.6 points and being voted SEC Player of the Year in 1981.
His NBA career began in 1982 when he was selected in 3rd position by Utah Jazz, behind James Worthy and Terry Cummings.
Due to financial problems and Wilkins’s reluctance to play the Jazz, he was sent to the Hawks a few months later by two athletes and money.
Negotiation is one of the most mismatched in history, as Drew Williams, one of those involved in the exchange, has only performed 4 seasons in the Jazz.
With the exception of his rookie season and the last three, Wilkins has always averaged 20 points per game, with the 1985/86 basket scoring 30.3 points per game.
Quick summary
Full name: Dominique Wilkins
Date of birth: January 12th 1960
Birthplace: Paris, France
Age: 60
Profession: Basketball player
Height: 2.01 m
Weight: 102 kg
Net Worth: 14$ million